Milford trade show will present an abundance of antiques

MILFORD - On Sunday morning, the indoor tennis courts at Hampshire Hills are expected to be teeming with vendors selling a great variety of antiques and collectibles during the Milford Antiques Show.

On Sunday from 8:30 to 11 a.m., more than 80 antiques dealers will be hawking their wares during the show, which has been running for 37 years, according to organizer Jack Donigian. The May show in Milford is a precursor to the spring antiques show at Brimfield, Mass., Donigian said.

While the general public is welcome, and encouraged, to attend, the show is really pulled together to benefit interior designers, decorators, auctioneers, and other professionals who come looking for perfect finds at perfect prices.

"It's primarily geared as a trade show," said Donigian, "but what that means for the general public is that they may be able to better prices than they would at a regular public show."

The vendors for Sunday's show include dealers from every New England state along with dealers traveling from as far away as New York and Ohio.

"It's a pretty large selection of different varieties of collectibles and antiques," Donigian said, "and they span a wide range of prices. You can pick things up for a few dollars or a few hundred dollars. It's quite a cross-section of vendors."

Because the show is geared toward professionals, admission during the first hour from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. is $5, but anytime after 9:30 a.m., admission is free.

"In the antiques business, the early bird gets the worm," said Donigian, "so the earlier people arrive, the better."

But missing the first hour certainly doesn't mean missing the boat on good deals.

"Every item needs a buyer and the things that sell first thing may not be things that buyers necessarily want," he said. "People can actually do really well for themselves later in the show."

In addition to the sale, there's a café on premises so participants can sit and have a bite in between shopping runs.